Messages

This is the only surviving AC Six with a 'single coupe' body - this was offered by the factory and you'll see the window frames are solid. The car was part of the collection of C W P Hampton of Hamptons Estate Agents. He had a marvellous collection including Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza and a Mercedes 'S' from 1927, a car I acted as middle-man in its sale. I remember we had to change the gear change as Hampton had it modified - he had a damaged arm; I believe he was shot down in a Spitfire during the war. One of his Bugattis was 'Black Bess' which sold for $2.5 million in 2009.

His AC Six was always immaculately turned out (as were all his cars) and he was most precise in its restoration (including using Rexine hood material). It is chassis number 12481, registration number SH2453, first registered in 1926.   

Andrey, a lot of research and effort.

There are many photos I've not seen before.

On my computer some photos show only a black screen (both the thumbnail preview and when clicked for full size) - is there a reason there's no photo visible?

We now have the start of the AC four-wheeled cars from the Edwardian period, engines by Fivet. Photo below shows a very nice example that was imported from New Zealand into England some 6/7 years back.

Do you think it's the same car?

Yes, it's the same AC Royal that is in Sweden. Chassis number 30427 which, again, is recorded wrongly, with the wrong registration, in the ACOC register. Interesting that it carries the Acedes name on the radiator, but likely correct as the car was apparently first registered in 1927 (the year the company came under S F Edge's full control, and renamed AC (Acedes) Ltd.) - this period had the six-cylinder in full production and the popularity of the four had diminished.

The webmaster and/or the club archivist need to decide on a depository for these photos and information. It will be a valuable resource in the future.

...Others are welcome to post their personal information but its not for me.....

Paho, please read my posting again. There is no suggestion of including personal data. Indeed, the ACOC would not do that (being at risk under the 'Data Protection Act' of the UK). The listing I'm suggesting would be for the individual cars and models, not the person. I have a vintage Bentley here, and take a look at this that we have 

http://www.vintagebentleys.org/

and see what is possible for the Bentley enthusiast...it is full of excellent information and searchable by model, chassis number, engine number, body builder etc. This is not the only site for searching marques -  AC could become another one!

Relax, Paho, your 'personal' data would be safe....

Andrey, here's a suggestion.

Why don't you contact the webmaster to see his response to having a separate section in the website. It could be worded something like 'vehicle archive' or 'model registry'. The photos could be a starting point with information (= whatever agreed) added about the vehicle (being as complete as agreed e.g. using a template). This could be amended by the forum user, including past/current owners, registrars, archivist, just as the website Wikipedia does – this would automatically show the amendment date, so future researchers, of a given car, would know if it was up-to-date information or years old. This section could become be a valuable resource.

If this has extra costs to the club, needing approval, then the idea put to the ACOC Council. If rejected, then consider a separate website.   

.....get a life!

Why do you insult him? He is offering a register of cars which is of historic value, both now and in the future. You may not be interested in the history of a given car, or the model range, but others, automotive historians like myself, are. This project, and Andrey, should be encouraged. Also, why do you insist on calling him Audrey, his name is Andrey. Already there are vehicles shown here that are not in the ACOC archive. A good job could be done in this project and, as said before, the discussion is which information it should contain and where it can be stored.

Why is it necessary to have another separate Vintage register to that which exists?
Could they be combined?
Robin

See reply #8 - I read it that Andrey wishes to put a complete list of cars in one place (= not just the vintage). In answer to your question, the vintage register is updated approx every 10 years, the last one was issued in Spring 2014. They are historically inaccurate, hopelessly out of date and incomplete.

This would be a lot of work and I congratulate Andrey in taking it on, especially as some registers are so out of date as to be bordering on worthless. It does have very good potential.

The questions are (a) what it would contain and (b) where it should be published. If it is known (and generally available) information, it could have its own section on this actual website or it could have a stand-alone site.

Much information on surviving and known Sociables and Auto-Carriers can be found here:

http://www.acsociable.byethost4.com/wordpress/

Interesting set of photos, I see they say "1919" and "only car of it's kind" are either of those comments likely to be true?

Very difficult to precisely age this car as so many things have been changed and moved around, not unusual for India. Some examples; it has two-panel windscreen whereas very early post-WW1 cars had single pane, the sidelights are on the wings (which themselves look fabricated) when early post-war cars had sidelamps at the windscreen frame. The running boards look 'early' yet the wire-wheels are clearly much later. Bumpers are a random addition, of course. The AC radiator logo script is not the early-type and dates from late '23 onwards, the ventilators (and their shape) are also from 1924. Horns at the windscreen may be replicating an early fashion, and of value in India anyway.

One other thing to add. Straight after the war some Fivet engines were found and brought back from France to start manufacture again - these cars in 1919, the year quoted, were bodied in the prewar Edwardian-style, very different to this car. This was though the start of using Anzani engines and the car bodies rapidly progressed e.g. the scuttle shape as per this car.

The car just looks to be early 1920's to me, maybe 1924 (or so).

I don't know the chassis number of this AC 4-cylinder (likely a Royal) and it is not recorded on the current ACOC register - there are no cars shown to be in India (and this one has been there a very long time). I do have some other period photographs of it though (attached):

Photo 1 - the car showed a slightly different registration number (BLA 7266) when this photo was taken in Calcutta (now Kolkata) during the war years. It has a headlight blackout cover so would date after late-1942 when the Japanese started bombing the city.

Photos 2 and 3 - taken at the same event (different years?) as in the previous posting by Andrey, now showing WBA 7266 but same car. Enormous spotlight fitted, no doubt to spot elephants, cows, donkeys and the many other things on Indian roads. Lots of horns fitted to move them along, plus getting cars and people out off the way - one horn is a nice 'boa constrictor-type'. The suspension looks decidedly dodgy and note the negative camber.

Photo 4 - another shot from India of the car, before all the 'accessories' were added.

I would suspect the car is still around 'somewhere' in India, knowing first-hand the ability of the local mechanics in keeping old cars on the road (by whatever means) and that this 'historic' vehicle would not be allowed to be exported now.

This nice 1927 AC Six 2/3-seater was on display at the excellent Caramulo Museum, Portugal (situated in the Serra do Caramulo hills, between Lisbon and Porto). It had been there for some 17 years, on long-term loan, when it was offered for sale last year. However, it still shows on the museum's website, so may may not have sold. It is chassis no, 13723 (not 13725, as shown on the ACOC register - there are many errors on this register and it's about time another updated version was issued).